What papers will you need in different cases? I can tell you about three situations for obtaining a visa for the purposes of tourism:
1. An adult working person who pays his own expenses
2. An adult non-working person whose trip is paid for by a sponsor
3. A minor child traveling with only one of the parents, whose trip is paid for by the sponsor
Let's go through the points separately.

A bonus is a description of the almost complete budget for organizing a two-week trip to Barcelona in June.

Visa for an adult working person


I will list the documents in a list with comments:

1. 2 color photos 35x45 mm without a corner, the size of the face in the photo should be 30 mm in length. It is done in a photo studio (it must be said that photos are required for a visa, Spanish Schengen) or directly in the visa center building in 5 minutes and 150-200 rubles.
The full requirements for photography can be found (section “Requirements for photography”) and. The only thing is that you don’t need to glue anything anywhere, but it is advisable to carefully cut them out in advance.

The form can be downloaded. The form must be printed on both sides of the paper, i.e. You should get two sheets with text on both sides. The site has a very clear example of filling out a form, which is quite easy to navigate. We will analyze the questionnaire separately below. Personally, I do this - I fill out everything I am sure of. If some points cause me doubts about what to write and whether to write them, I don’t write anything. And when submitting documents directly, I consult with the employee about the content. And he will most likely tell you himself when checking your profile if something is missing. Maximum, you will be charged 200 rubles for help in filling it out. And by the way, I recommend writing the date for submitting the application form already when handing over the documents: if suddenly your documents are not accepted on that day (for example, you forgot something), then you will have to rewrite everything.

3. A foreign passport valid for at least three months after the expected date of (last) departure from the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages and issued within the last ten years.

4. Photocopies ALL(even blank) spreads of a foreign passport, 4 spreads per A4 sheet. By the way, if you still have previous, no longer valid, passports, and you suddenly decide to bring them too - which is generally not necessary - then you will have to completely photocopy them too. That’s why I don’t carry my old passports anywhere: they ran out and got lost. :O)

6. Photocopies of all pages with marks of the internal passport, 4 spreads per A4 sheet.

7. Traveler's medical insurance for the entire period of the intended trip, valid in all Schengen countries and covering any expenses that may arise in connection with returning home for medical reasons, the need for emergency medical care, urgent hospital treatment or death during the trip. The minimum sum insured is €30,000. Nowadays you can choose the right insurance very easily via the Internet (). If you need simpler and cheaper insurance, you can choose it, for example, on Cherekhap:

For those who are responsible about their health, I recommend travel insurance from Tripinsurance ():

If you bought a policy “live” and do not print it from the website, then you will need to make a photocopy of it (if the policy lists several insured persons, then make a copy for each).

8. Proof of accommodation (for example, an invitation/confirmation of sponsorship from the inviting person if the guest intends to stay with him), a document from the institution providing accommodation, or any other relevant document indicating that accommodation is provided, in accordance with the legislation of the Schengen member country ); if not applicable, an appropriate written description of the planned travel. Simply put, make a reservation from the hotel. Issued on or any other similar resource that provides official confirmation of the reservation. Personally, I use the Airbnb host rental service (you can check it out at). So far I really like it.

9. Photocopy/printing of tickets in both directions. To search and buy tickets, I mainly use the aviasales service. I wrote a little about how to look for cheap tickets earlier. Since then, they have greatly improved the search, so this time I was no longer so interested in poking around, so I didn’t search for a long time, but bought tickets to Barcelona with one convenient transfer in Rome almost immediately, choosing the cheapest days of the week (Tuesday there, Tuesday back).
By the way, I recently came across an interesting article about how to book air tickets without payment to Thailand. I don’t know how applicable this method is to Schengen, but in general the information is worth careful study.

10. Certificate from the place of work. They usually get this from their accounting department. The certificate must indicate the position, the amount of salary - it is very desirable that it be above 20 tr, and a note that on the required dates you will be on official leave with your job retained. The certificate is valid for one month from the date of issue.

11. Financial guarantees. It could be one of the following:
— bank statement on the account balance on stamped letterhead;
— card statement from an ATM — a check that the ATM will give you when you select the “account status -> print” item. This check must be accompanied by a photocopy of the front side of your card from which you printed it;
— certificate of currency purchase;
When applying in Moscow and other cities except St. Petersburg, financial guarantees must be in the amount of 57 euros per person, for each day of travel. That is, for two weeks you should have an account statement in the amount of approximately 40 tr. for one person. UPDATE from 01/07/2015: the amount has changed, now it is 64.53 euros per person per day (minimum 580.77 euros per person per trip).
— traveler's checks (copies)

12. Consent to the processing of personal data. Issued and completed when submitting documents at the visa center.

13. Visa fee 1778 rubles + visa center fee for services 1016 rubles = approximately 2800 rubles. I don’t know how it is in other visa centers, but in Nizhny Novgorod, when submitting documents for the Spanish Schengen visa, payment must be made in cash - take it with you in advance. UPDATE from 01/07/2015: the amount has changed, now the visa fee is 2421 rubles + the visa center fee for services is 1383 rubles = 3804 rubles. By the way, disabled people of any group are exempt from paying the visa fee (if relevant).

__________________________________________________

Total money per adult:
— visa application 3500-3800 rubles (2800 fees, 500 insurance, 200 photographs, 200 filling out an application form - optional, printing/photocopying costs - optional)
— round-trip air tickets 10,000 rubles

Visa for unemployed adult



…whose trip is paid for by a sponsor, in this case a spouse. In general, it is very desirable that the sponsor be a close relative - a spouse, parent, guardian, adult child. I will describe in detail only points not previously considered:

1. 2 color photos.

2. Completed visa application form.

3. Foreign passport.

5. Russian internal passport.

6. Photocopies of all pages with marks of the internal passport.

7. Medical insurance.

8. Confirmation of accommodation - hotel reservation.

9. Photocopy/printing of tickets in both directions.

10. A letter in free form explaining the reason for lack of work (I, Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, am currently not officially employed because...) with a date and signature. The letter must be printed.

11. Printed sponsorship letter with date and signature. The sample can be downloaded.

12. Certificate from the sponsor’s place of work (similar to a personal certificate). The sponsor's salary must be at least 25 thousand rubles. for each sponsored person.

13. Financial guarantees from the sponsor (similar to personal guarantees). For example, a bank statement from the sponsor's account.

14. A copy of a document confirming relationship with the sponsor. In this case, a copy of the marriage certificate.

16. Visa fees.

Visa for a minor child



... traveling with only one of the parents, whose trip is paid for by the sponsor (in this case, the father):

1. 2 color photos.

2. Completed visa application form.

3. Foreign passport. In this case it was available. If your child does not have a separate passport, I highly recommend getting one.

4. Photocopies of all pages of the foreign passport.

5. Birth certificate + its photocopy.

6. Medical insurance.

7. Confirmation of accommodation - hotel reservation.

8. Photocopy/printing of tickets in both directions.

9. Printed sponsorship letter with date and signature.

10. Certificate from the sponsor’s place of work. If there are several sponsored at a time, then the original + copies according to the number of people.

11. Financial guarantees from the sponsor. If there are several sponsored at a time, then the original + copies according to the number of people.

12. A copy of a document confirming relationship with the sponsor. In this case, a separate document was not required.

13. A copy of the first two pages of the internal passport of the parent staying at home.

14. Notarized permission to remove the child from the parent remaining at home + its photocopy. Now its cost in Nizhny is 1,500 rubles.

15. Consent to the processing of personal data.

16. Visa fees for children under 6 years of age are not charged.

Total money for a child under 6 years old:
— visa application 2200-2500 rubles (1500 notarized permission, 500 insurance, 200 photographs, 200 filling out an application form - optional, printing/photocopying costs - optional)
Plus, in our case, the costs are the same as for an adult:
— round-trip air tickets ~10,000 rubles
— accommodation in a luxury apartment in the center of Barcelona for two weeks 12,300 rubles

Filling out the form



To apply, you need to fill out a form. The most convenient way to do this is to do this at home in advance by downloading and printing the application form itself and a sample for filling it out from the official website of the Spanish visa center. The sample is very clear, but I will go through all the points of the questionnaire that require filling out and give my comments on each. The numbers below in front of the items are the numbers of fields to fill out. The questionnaire is filled out in Latin letters in English or Spanish, either in printed form or, which is easier, by hand. So:

1. Last name of the applicant

3. Applicant's name

4. Date of birth of the applicant in day-month-year format

5. Place of birth of the applicant - write the city or other place as indicated in your passport

6. Country of birth. Those who were born in the union write USSR, otherwise write RUSSIA

7. Citizenship. For Russians RUSSIAN FEDERATION. Citizenship at birth. Those who were born in the USSR write USSR, otherwise don’t write anything

8. Gender of the applicant. Mark the one you need

9. Marital status. Mark what you need. The child was marked “Single/Not Married” - the person checking the documents said nothing :o)

10. Filled out in the application form for a minor child. Write the LAST NAME FIRST NAME of the parent traveling with the child, separated by a comma, his citizenship - for Russians RUS

12. Type of travel document. For the majority - a “regular passport”

13. Write the full number of the foreign country

14. Date of issue

15. Expiration date of the foreign passport

16. Who issued the foreign passport - for Russians RUSSIAN FEDERATION

17. Address of registration or actual residence of the applicant, email address, telephone number - home or cell phone, preferably cell phone

18. Check “No”

19. Write the applicant's job title in English/Spanish. For housewives, you can write HOUSEWIFE

20. For workers - write the name of your organization, its address and telephone number. "OOO" in English will be LLC

21. Motives. For tourists - mark “Tourism”

22. Destination country - SPAIN

23. Country of first entry. If you have flights with a transfer, for example, in Germany, then write GERMANY. If tickets are for a train or other transport, indicate the first Schengen country you will enter with it.

24. Type of visa requested. I strongly recommend checking “for multiple entries”

25. Length of stay. Write the dates of the trip for which you are applying for a visa. For example, you are traveling for 10 days, which means you write - 10

26. Schengen visas for the last three years. You flip through your passport and write out all your Schengen visas in chronological order, or rather the validity periods indicated on the visa itself, which you have received over the last three years and check the “Yes” box. If there are none, mark “No” and that’s it.

27. If you have not previously been fingerprinted to obtain a Schengen visa, check “No”

29. Write the date of entry into the Schengen zone in the format day-month-year

30. Date of departure from the Schengen area in day-month-year format

31. If you booked a hotel/hotels, in the first section (“Apellidos y nombres…”) write their names; if you booked an apartment, leave them blank. In the second section (“Domicilio postal…”) write the full address of the hotel/hotels or apartment where you will live, as well as the address/email addresses of the establishment/owner. In the third section (“Numeros…”) indicate their phone number/numbers.

33. In the section “Los gastos...” write YES. Next, check the following points.
For a working adult:
- “the applicant himself”
- “cash” (if you are bringing cash)
— “credit card” (if you take a bank card)
— “prepaid transport”

For an adult or child whose trip is sponsored:
— “accommodation prepaid” (if you have already paid for your accommodation reservation)
— “prepaid transport”
- "sponsor"
— “other (specify)” (after the paragraph about the sponsor) — indicate the type of relationship of the sponsor in relation to the applicant, for example FATHER, or write LAST NAME FIRST NAME of the sponsor
— “all expenses during stay are paid”

36. Write the name of the city where you are submitting documents and the date of submission in the format day-month-year

37. Sign in all places as indicated in the sample. A parent/legal representative signs for a minor child


That's it, congratulations - you filled out the form! :O)

The document submission procedure itself does not take very long if you have collected a complete set. Now Schengen visa to Spain on your own is made extremely simply. There are practically no queues at the Nizhny Novgorod visa center, at least when I get there (in the morning). The staff is very polite and friendly, there is an electronic queue with a convenient display. There is a booth for photography, a toilet, nice soft chairs, a free drinking bowl with tea and coffee, and even a table with a box of toys for children - in general, a pleasant place in all respects. :o) Once submitted, the visa application itself lasts about two weeks; the methods and documents for obtaining ready-made visas will be explained to you in detail at the center itself. I wish you success in obtaining visas!

Climb up, .

And if you dance Argentine tango, you can read about regular milongas,